RS3 vs RS7 (crosspost from RS3 Specific)

[Tax Lit]

Hi everyone. I posted the following over in the RS3 Specific thread to see if people had feedback on the RS7 and didn't get much back. I thought people in this thread might have better insight into long-term ownership of an RS7 and be able to help with some feedback on the points below.

Hi Everyone.

Three years into ownership I'm really loving my RS3. I go back and forth on whether to keep it forever or try something new.

Does anyone have experience with the Audi extended warranty? I was thinking of possibly buying 84 month/160k.

My rationale is that I doubt there's going to be a better daily driver available in the next 5 years or so that can sound so good, carry my family, destroy Canadian winters, have collision avoidance for crappy Toronto traffic, and get decent highway mileage. I'm not planning to tune the car as it's already fast enough for me and I hate the idea of messing with an engine that I assume would probably be 20k Cdn+ to replace. Also, I've babied the car from new (gentle break-in, paint protection, let it warm up, extra oil changes, best tires, everything stock, etc.) so it should be as reliable as the car can be.

Alternatively, I was considering swapping out to a 997 Carerra 4s Cabrio, but I'm not sure it would feel special enough, I'd have no warranty or auto cruise, and the back seats look too small for my son (and rear-facing car seat) during multi-hour family trips. On the other hand, I've always wanted a 911 (it's on my bucket list), a manual vert would be fun, and I've never heard anyone say they didn't love their 911. If the back seats are too small for long trips we have a Honda accord hybrid we could use instead.

I had also considered swapping out to a CPO RS7, which would solve the backseat problem and provide more space if we were to have another child, and be fun for family road trips, but I feel like it will depreciate like a rock and not be as svelte for downtown Toronto driving/parking.

I was very tempted by superwagons (RS6/E63s), which would probably address all my concerns, but I decided I should be a bit more financially responsible for the next few years instead.

So in addition to views on warranty, I'm also interested in thoughts on those cars, as they are my alternatives to keeping the RS3 indefinitely.

Then I posted the following update.

For anyone who is considering a similar question in the future, I test drove a 2017 RS7 yesterday (which, IMO, is the sweet spot before particulate filter, but after Carplay, and the screen can still be folded into the dash). First impressions were that it was HEAVY and does not shift nearly as quickly as my rs3. Overall, it was less dramatic when driving more sedately in that there was less engine noise in the cabin throughout the rev range (likely because the cabin is better insulated, overall). The manual-mode downshift sound is not the same and I missed the (arguably obnoxious) throttle blip that happens in the RS3. For the first 10 minutes I drove it I felt it was too tame for me to have fun with, even in dynamic.

I did feel, however, that this would be a meaningfully more comfortable car to do long commutes or road trips with. Surprisingly, there was not a massive difference in passenger room with a rear facing convertible child seat. RS3 is pretty bad; RS7 is decent/reasonably comfortable (but not luxurious, as I was hoping it would be). My wife's Accord has more space in front of the child seat, though it still doesn't reach my luxurious threshold.

Interestingly, it did get a lot of attention during a 30 minute test drive - I saw lots of heads turning and jealous-looking dads out with their families (if that's your cup of tea). I heard one guy say to his wife "that's a nice car". That added some specialness to the drive.

To see if I was right that it is more tame, I tried really giving it some gas and leaving it in auto and I got a bit of a sense of why the reviews say it's so crazy. It pulls like a jet taking off in that there's a sense of massive weight accelerating very quickly. Auto upshifts sounded great. The V8 is much throatier and can accelerate quickly without moving up into higher revs, so a quick pull is likely to shift up at 4.5k or so.

Also, HOLY CRAP the pops and bangs. I know some people don't like that but I do. And I think their deeper tones perfectly suit such a large shark of a car. My pre-particulate filter RS3's occasional loud pops and consistent burbles (stock exhaust) has nothing on the RS7's boss sounds.

At the end of the day, I'm still considering the RS7, but given the large delta between the cost of my RS3 (offered 46k at trade in), which I have babied since I bought it, and the cost of the RS7 (81k), I don't really see it being worth such a large increase in cost to move up.

[TexasDfwS4]

RS5 FTW

[gk1]

Sledgehammer vs. Trim hammer.

[mrkubanftw]

Hi everyone. I posted the following over in the RS3 Specific thread to see if people had feedback on the RS7 and didn't get much back. I thought people in this thread might have better insight into long-term ownership of an RS7 and be able to help with some feedback on the points below.

Hi Everyone.

Three years into ownership I'm really loving my RS3. I go back and forth on whether to keep it forever or try something new.

Does anyone have experience with the Audi extended warranty? I was thinking of possibly buying 84 month/160k.

My rationale is that I doubt there's going to be a better daily driver available in the next 5 years or so that can sound so good, carry my family, destroy Canadian winters, have collision avoidance for crappy Toronto traffic, and get decent highway mileage. I'm not planning to tune the car as it's already fast enough for me and I hate the idea of messing with an engine that I assume would probably be 20k Cdn+ to replace. Also, I've babied the car from new (gentle break-in, paint protection, let it warm up, extra oil changes, best tires, everything stock, etc.) so it should be as reliable as the car can be.

Alternatively, I was considering swapping out to a 997 Carerra 4s Cabrio, but I'm not sure it would feel special enough, I'd have no warranty or auto cruise, and the back seats look too small for my son (and rear-facing car seat) during multi-hour family trips. On the other hand, I've always wanted a 911 (it's on my bucket list), a manual vert would be fun, and I've never heard anyone say they didn't love their 911. If the back seats are too small for long trips we have a Honda accord hybrid we could use instead.

I had also considered swapping out to a CPO RS7, which would solve the backseat problem and provide more space if we were to have another child, and be fun for family road trips, but I feel like it will depreciate like a rock and not be as svelte for downtown Toronto driving/parking.

I was very tempted by superwagons (RS6/E63s), which would probably address all my concerns, but I decided I should be a bit more financially responsible for the next few years instead.

So in addition to views on warranty, I'm also interested in thoughts on those cars, as they are my alternatives to keeping the RS3 indefinitely.

Then I posted the following update.

For anyone who is considering a similar question in the future, I test drove a 2017 RS7 yesterday (which, IMO, is the sweet spot before particulate filter, but after Carplay, and the screen can still be folded into the dash). First impressions were that it was HEAVY and does not shift nearly as quickly as my rs3. Overall, it was less dramatic when driving more sedately in that there was less engine noise in the cabin throughout the rev range (likely because the cabin is better insulated, overall). The manual-mode downshift sound is not the same and I missed the (arguably obnoxious) throttle blip that happens in the RS3. For the first 10 minutes I drove it I felt it was too tame for me to have fun with, even in dynamic.

I did feel, however, that this would be a meaningfully more comfortable car to do long commutes or road trips with. Surprisingly, there was not a massive difference in passenger room with a rear facing convertible child seat. RS3 is pretty bad; RS7 is decent/reasonably comfortable (but not luxurious, as I was hoping it would be). My wife's Accord has more space in front of the child seat, though it still doesn't reach my luxurious threshold.

Interestingly, it did get a lot of attention during a 30 minute test drive - I saw lots of heads turning and jealous-looking dads out with their families (if that's your cup of tea). I heard one guy say to his wife "that's a nice car". That added some specialness to the drive.

To see if I was right that it is more tame, I tried really giving it some gas and leaving it in auto and I got a bit of a sense of why the reviews say it's so crazy. It pulls like a jet taking off in that there's a sense of massive weight accelerating very quickly. Auto upshifts sounded great. The V8 is much throatier and can accelerate quickly without moving up into higher revs, so a quick pull is likely to shift up at 4.5k or so.

Also, HOLY CRAP the pops and bangs. I know some people don't like that but I do. And I think their deeper tones perfectly suit such a large shark of a car. My pre-particulate filter RS3's occasional loud pops and consistent burbles (stock exhaust) has nothing on the RS7's boss sounds.

At the end of the day, I'm still considering the RS7, but given the large delta between the cost of my RS3 (offered 46k at trade in), which I have babied since I bought it, and the cost of the RS7 (81k), I don't really see it being worth such a large increase in cost to move up.

If you dig the RS7 but aren't all about the cost increase, have you considered the S7? I really don't think its going to leave too much undesired compared to an RS3. Also did you drive the RS7 in sport mode? This isn't the same as the car just being in dynamic.

[zabds319]

I drove a friend’s RS5 for a week 3 years ago while I was considering Audi options. I’m tall and the back seat legroom was horrendous. For that reason I went with an S7, as the back seat legroom was night and day better. I was very happy with it, but that car was totaled shortly after I bought it. I took that as a sign to upgrade to an RS7 performance. 2017 or 2018 can be had for well under 80k now (not sure about Canadian dollar conversion), and it’s far more lively than the S7. Mine is a stage 1 tune and it’s a heavy car so I can imagine you might think it’s sluggish compared to an RS3 but I’m also 0-60 in 2.6 sec so it’s not slow by any stretch. But also as I already mentioned, you won’t beat the back seat legroom in any Audi except a Q8, which is why I went with a C7 in the first place.

[zabds319]

I drove a friend’s RS5 for a week 3 years ago while I was considering Audi options. I’m tall and the back seat legroom was horrendous. For that reason I went with an S7, as the back seat legroom was night and day better. I was very happy with it, but that car was totaled shortly after I bought it. I took that as a sign to upgrade to an RS7 performance. 2017 or 2018 can be had for well under 80k now (not sure about Canadian dollar conversion), and it’s far more lively than the S7. Mine is a stage 1 tune and it’s a heavy car so I can imagine you might think it’s sluggish compared to an RS3 but I’m also 0-60 in 2.6 sec so it’s not slow by any stretch. But also as I already mentioned, you won’t beat the back seat legroom in any Audi except a Q8, which is why I went with a C7 in the first place.

I mean to say the back seat legroom was horrible for my kids, while I was driving, in the RS5. The s7/rs7 was far far better for them. And therefore me.

[Tax Lit]

Thanks everyone. Lots of interesting ideas.

I found a 2013 RS5 vert that is available near me which would probably be a lot of fun for family drives. I came from an e92 M3 so I love a high redline. No warranty, though. The current RS5 styling is not really for me. I think it looks good, just not something I want for me.

The s7 is probably a good idea as well. I could give up a bit of performance to save 25k (Cdn). I have a feeling with an exhaust mod it would do the job nicely to get me more sound with an overall lower cost.

Also, I wasn't meaning to imply the RS7 is sluggish. It actually felt almost as fast as my RS3 when I really gave it gas. I was more speaking to the fact that the RS3 seems rawer at 1/2 - 2/3 throttle, and you can hear the engine noise a lot more when you're not heavy on the gas. Both cars are faster than I need them to be, and faster than the e92.

[mrkubanftw]

Thanks everyone. Lots of interesting ideas.

I found a 2013 RS5 vert that is available near me which would probably be a lot of fun for family drives. I came from an e92 M3 so I love a high redline. No warranty, though. The current RS5 styling is not really for me. I think it looks good, just not something I want for me.

The s7 is probably a good idea as well. I could give up a bit of performance to save 25k (Cdn). I have a feeling with an exhaust mod it would do the job nicely to get me more sound with an overall lower cost.

Also, I wasn't meaning to imply the RS7 is sluggish. It actually felt almost as fast as my RS3 when I really gave it gas. I was more speaking to the fact that the RS3 seems rawer at 1/2 - 2/3 throttle, and you can hear the engine noise a lot more when you're not heavy on the gas. Both cars are faster than I need them to be, and faster than the e92.

It's funny you mention this. I just bought a 16' S6 (4.0T) and am coming from a B6 S4 (4.2 V8). The lower class RS series cars definitely leave the raw performance feeling of the car and the road at your finger-tips.

The 6/7 series have something different to offer. These I truly regard as luxury performance cars. They pack massive punch that you can barely feel on the road. To be clear an RS7 is far faster than an RS3. It's faster in the 0-60 and in the quarter, and it accomplishes all that weighing 1300lbs more with literally 200 extra horsepower.

This is why I recommended the S6/7 (glad to hear you're considering it). An S6/7 will compete with the speed of an RS3 while being slightly slower than the RS3 (and not much slower at all). An S5 is a fancy S4 with a hatchback, and you won't get the extra room you're looking for with the 4/5 series.

Also food for thought... a stage 1+ S7 will beat the RS3 and on the way home from the grocery store with a load of crap in the back. Probably in comfort mode even :P

That been said, I miss my raw feeling S4... even though it was smaller and technically slower.

[Tax Lit]

Good point that the RS7 is faster.

Rather conveniently, the two cars I was comparing are raced here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy2a...l=Auditography. As you pointed out, the RS7 is not just faster, it is way faster. I would not have guessed that driving them back to back.

I'm going to look into how S7s sound with exhausts.

[Nosferatu]

RS3 is a small car
RS7 is a full size car

I have a 1 year old and we use it for the baby car. Can't beat the rear room of a full size car vs a small car. Rear racing seat, two suitcases, a stroller, fold-up crib, etc. Took it for a 5 day road trip and was fine. Software tuning only it runs 10.80 @ 128.7 MPH and sounds better than that 5 cylinder.

If you're single or married with no kids stick with an RS3/RS5. Want to actually transport family get an RS7. Maybe I'm getting old but I always equated a "luxury" car as a full size car with a V8 under the hood. Not some hoopdie hot rodded 4,5, or 6 cylinder engine.

Both are awesome cars but they aren't similar at all.

Lastly, go drive an RS7 Performance (which is what I drive). The DRC and the carbon ceramics make a huge difference. I find the Prestige has mushy brakes. CCBs stop like a boss.

[zabds319]

Good point that the RS7 is faster.

Rather conveniently, the two cars I was comparing are raced here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy2a...l=Auditography. As you pointed out, the RS7 is not just faster, it is way faster. I would not have guessed that driving them back to back.

I'm going to look into how S7s sound with exhausts.

The S7 is awesome. But it really is a luxury car that can be sporty. The RS7 is a sports car with 4 doors. When I went from my S7 to my RS7p, I was initially taken aback by how much louder (in the cabin) and how much more road feel the RS has compares to the S. And that said, my S7 had APR downpipes (and therefore no front mufflers), plus I x-piped the center suitcase, and the RS7 was still louder in the cabin. Just FYI, in case the S7 ends up not being what you're looking for.

[sparcbox]

RS5 FTW

I have to agree. I have an C7.5 S6 daily driver (DS1 Stage1) and a B7 S4 Cab (JHM Stage1) I get out during the warm months (Chicagoland). If I didn’t keep the S4 I’d feel wanting for a little more go-cart that I have in the S4. If I went to one car, the RS5 would be it… hands down.

That said, I’d much rather have the S4 & S6 as they are more extreme differences as opposed to a single RS5.

Personally, not a fan of the (R)S7 look, but I know that I’m a minority with that opinion.

[Xandynasty]

This was the perfect thread I was looking for because I'm in the same predicament. I had my RS3 for over 3 years now and i was thinking of upgrading but the Rs3 is such a wicker sleeper car and i really like the fact its fun to drive and also have dual clutch. I was thinking of getting the rs7 but i wanted to know would i have the same fun as i have with my rs3. I will definitely miss the dual clutch as well. im going to test drive the rs7 today and hopefully it will ease my mind. if not then i may either stick with the rs3 or switch to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S which also comes dual clutch. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Blackcoog]

S6 or S7 with a tune ($1k) will save you a lot of money vs. that RS7 at $80k. You can also swap out the screen without too much work for something else if you want a touch screen, android auto, carplay, etc. The DSG in the S6/S7 will give you the faster shift feeling you are missing in the RS7.

[Devman2013S7]

If you get the RS7 look for one with dynamic suspension (replaces the standard air suspension) makes a huge difference in handling. Also coming from a 13 S7 the tranny in the RS7 is pretty much worry free and a heck of a lot smoother in my opinion. If you can swing it, the RS7 is worth the extra dough.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[Alabama]

the Rs3 is such a wicker sleeper car and i really like the fact its fun to drive and also have dual clutch. im going to test drive the rs7 today and hopefully it will ease my mind. if not then i may either stick with the rs3 or switch to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S which also comes dual clutch.

As you are probably aware, even though VW owns both Audi and Porsche, the dual clutch apparently is different between the brands. Other AZ members have noted that the Porsche version appears to be more reliable than the Audi version.

[orionHCCA]

As you are probably aware, even though VW owns both Audi and Porsche, the dual clutch apparently is different between the brands. Other AZ members have noted that the Porsche version appears to be more reliable than the Audi version..

True, the Audi DSG is made by Continental while Porsche's PDK is a ZF. Reliability-wise it's probably generally true that the ZF is better, especially with mechatronics issues in the DL501.

[himself]

A few comments:
On the Audi after market warranty, I suspect it may not actually be either of those (audi or warranty). It'll probably be a third-party service contract that the Audi dealer sells (for a profit) and not an actual Audi product. I got one when I purchased my RS7 and it's fine. They pay out for repairs and I haven't had any issues. If you can get CPO for a 2017, then maybe you wait to DS1 it. But after market doesn't care about TD1.

I've had a few Porsches including a Coupe, cab and a GT3. RS7 isn't really comparable. Totally different cars. Porsche is more connected than RS7 and "better" to drive in just about every way except long hauls. Not better in utility, but definitely to drive. Rear facing car seats are no good in a 911. Boosters are OK [I've got 6 kids, and 911 was not really good until they got into boosters]. If I were in your current position, I would go 911 vs RS7 all day.

On RS3-RS7, new to new, I think the cost delta is something like 60-70K? [My RS7 Performance sticker was just shy of 140K]. There's a lot of upgrades between a 70K car and a 140K car. As Nosferatu said, ceramic brakes are excellent.

There's a lot to be said for the RS7, but it's a pinnacle car and not for everyone. That's why there were so few made. In the US, overall, there were 2977 Base and 670P. For 2017, there were only 368 base and 394P in the US. So, it's a pretty unique car in the wild either way.

Good luck!

-td